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Tom Powers: Woeful Twins are due for a major overhaul

Pioneer Press

Posted:
05/16/2011 12:01:00 AM CDT

Updated:
05/16/2011 09:56:42 AM CDT

Minnesota Twins third baseman Danny Valencia sits alone in the dugout after the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins 11-3 in a baseball game Sunday, May 15, 2011 in Minneapolis. It was the Twins' eighth straight loss. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) (Jim Mone)

It looks as if there's just one option left for the 2011 Twins. In baseball parlance, it's time to ''blow it up.''

''You mean like a fire sale?" Michael Cuddyer asked.

Yes.

"It's a legitimate concern," he said, shaking his head. "You don't want it to cross your mind. I still believe we can turn this around. But we need to turn it around in a hurry."

Maybe they'll get a little while longer. But only because Bill Smith doesn't usually make moves so far in advance of the trade deadline. Most general managers seem to believe that the best values come available when other teams realize just how desperate they are. And that's usually right near the deadline.

But no team could be more desperate than the Twins. It's not just the never-ending string of injuries - real or imagined. It's as if some guys have forgotten how to play. Worse, some of the newer guys seem to have gotten quite used to losing, thank you. They seem very comfortable with it.

So here are the facts: This is a bad ball club. The payroll comes in at about $113 million, which reportedly is over budget. There's no reason to pay a premium for this sort of performance. Time to blow it up and start over.

The bad part is that the first two guys to go likely will be Cuddyer and Jason Kubel. These are two veterans, two "real Twins" who care. But because they are unsigned for next season, they probably will be sent elsewhere as the organization tries to get something in return.

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Both would rather be here.

"It's always a possibility," Kubel said of a potential breakup. "But I don't think they should blow the team up. I think this team can compete not only this year but next year, too. I know everyone else in here thinks that way, too."

OK, but the Twins get pounded day after day. On Sunday it was 11-3 at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays, who were up 7-0 after three innings. Jose Bautista hit three more home runs. He could hit five and yet not one Twins pitchers would take it upon himself to dust the guy off. Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris...they'd have seen to it that Bautista ate a little dirt. The guy hangs over the plate. But many of the current Twins pitchers apparently don't have the guts to knock anyone down.

Starter Brian Duensing didn't have it Sunday. Meanwhile, Delmon Young was at his worst in left field, tippy-toeing after the ball as if he had a hot foot. Young should be a designated hitter, period. He might get that chance sooner rather than later when the blowup occurs.

Then again, he went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts Sunday. He's hitting .203 with no homers. That's not your prototypical designated hitter. Yet there are other hitters doing even worse. The bottom third of the Twins order: .175, .113, .190.

Meanwhile, the Twins actually coaxed a relief appearance out of Kevin Slowey on Sunday. But that bullpen remains a wreck. Now Jose Mijares is on the disabled list, too.

There's just nothing available in Class AAA to help stop the bleeding. Smith needs to acquire younger guys with a legitimate chance to play someday. In addition to Cuddyer and Kubel, several other veterans easily could be moved, including Matt Capps, Alexi Casilla, Francisco Liriano, Carl Pavano, Scott Baker, Slowey and Mijares.

My guess is Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are untouchable because they are signed longer term and are the faces of the franchise. All I can say about Mauer is that his legs must be close to being broken for him to be out this long while his team goes through this. Morneau, a bag of bones as a result of his various illnesses, has been a shell of himself.

It's looking more and more like it's time to start over. The Twins haven't had a major overhaul in nearly a decade. Instead, players have been replaced piece by piece, on the fly. Throughout it all the team has continued to perform. But it has all gone sour this season. This team could lose a hundred games. There's no reason to spend $113 million on this bunch.

Too many immature ballplayers worried about themselves. Too many bad players who simply don't belong in the major leagues.

I'd hate to see guys such as Cuddyer and Kubel go, especially considering some of the happy-go-lucky, "we'll just try again tomorrow" players who could wind up staying. But really, the team is going nowhere. It's time to start looking toward creating a better future.